Music

INSPIRATION BLOG

Portrait of Mal Waldron

A few years ago I got Naomi a couple of instrumental albums called Jazz Minus 1, which basically some great jazz players playing through...

"1959, the Year that Changed Jazz"

Just wanted to share this documentary the focuses on 4 classic jazz albums that all came out in 1959: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis Time...

Duke Ellington in the NY Times

Hey gang I just saw this today and had to share with you. It is a really great little feature at the New York Times called "Five Minutes...

Helen Humes & Her All-Star Blues Band

Helen Humes was a fantastic singer with the Count Basie band, and here she shows that singing the Blues is absolutely no challenge for...

NPR Jazz Profile - Harry "Sweets" Edison

Photo by Lionel Decoster, via Wikimedia Commons Given his nickname by that prolific creator of jazz slang, Lester Young, Harry "Sweets"...

Count Basie on Jazz Casual

Another episode of Jazz Casual, this time with the great master of swing, Count Basie! Highlights include: 8:14 Basie killing it on...

Earl Hines on Jazz Casual

Earl Hines has sometimes been called the father of modern piano, a player who bridged eras and influenced all those who came after him. I...

The Origin of "One O'Clock Jump"

Take a listen to this song above and see if it sounds familiar. Long story short this was the inspiration for the melody of one of the...